Contact Information

Subscribe via RSS feed

Disclaimer

I was an invited guest for many of these trips, but I never accept a trip in exchange for any promise of positive​ stories or social media posts​. The opinions and findings are all my own and always... unedited. It speaks for the integrity of these suppliers that they trust their product will shine, without any quid pro quos in exchange for travel. I choose who I work with very carefully for this reason.

Lifestyle Blogger

Please note: I have been invited by Verizon to be one of their Lifestyle Bloggers. As such, I often tweet and write about how new devices, apps and tools enhance the mobile lifestyle and most particularly my work and travels. While Verizon Wireless provides me with the devices to test and sponsors me, the opinions I express are always my own. Follow these helpful discussions with me and my fellow Verizon bloggers using the #VZWBuzz hashtag.

A Travel Writer in the Trump Era
Last September I was in a small taxi heading to Lalibela, Ethiopia. Sitting in the front seat taking pictures, my driver asked if I was American. After I said yes, he asked if I thought Donald Trump would be elected President. I said no I did not think he would win. He smiled and said […]

Ballooning Over the Masai Mara…at Dawn
Sometimes all the stars align…..at dawn on the Masai Mara. Spend 16 seconds with me as I soar over the wildebeests during the Great Migration. Sometimes called the ‘World Cup of Wildlife’, over two million animals cross from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara plains in Kenya every year. This video shows […]

The Ultimate Safari…in One Morning
“Watching the crossing of the Mara River this morning surpassed all my previous safaris…combined.” Author Jared Diamond September 9. 2016 Let me back up. Our private jet group had landed in Kenya from Ethiopia the day before Jared’s safari of a lifetime. Greeted on the runway by the Masai and our guides, we were ready […]

Travel, Art and Monuments Men (Elgin Marbles)
Updated December 8, 2014 The provenance of art in the world’s museums often tells travellers more of a story than the art itself. My earlier post “Glories of the Hermitage” tells the story of the empty frames tours during the 900 day Siege of Leningrad. Stories of the extreme measures taken to protect artworks during WWII continue […]

North Korea, Mongolia and More Surprising Vacation Destinations
I just returned from three days of meetings and parties in Marrakech, Morocco at the fourth annual PURE Life Experiences Travel Conference. I know, the title sounds slightly “New Age,” and maybe it is, but it is also one of the most creative, prescient three days I have spent in many years. We all read […]

North Korea, Mongolia and More Surprising Vacation Destinations
I just returned from three days of meetings and parties in Marrakech, Morocco at the fourth annual PURE Life Experiences Travel Conference. I know, the title sounds slightly “New Age,” and maybe it is, but it is also one of the most creative, prescient three days I have spent in many years. We all read […]

Egyptian Tourism After The Embassy Riots
After a two hour meeting with President Morsi on September 9 at the Presidential Palace, I was optimistic about Egypt’s relationship with the West. Then I flew out of Cairo two days later, landed in Paris and saw newscasts of the riots in Benghazi and Cairo. Egyptian tourism suddenly looked dead in the water. Is […]

Is It Time To Return To Egypt?
During my visit, I will be moderating a panel on Tourism with the new Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Hisham Zaazou. Let me know if you have questions for him. I am returning to Egypt with the U.S. Business Mission to Egypt this fall, a visit sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and including […]

Seven Trips To Expand Your Comfort Zone
Having spent 17 years circling the globe for my job at the Smithsonian Institution, I am often asked, “Where is your favorite destination and where should I go next?” Seems like an easy question, but it isn’t. My own list of favorites has shifted dramatically as my personal travel comfort zone expanded. For your consideration, […]

I was an invited guest for many of these trips, but I never accept a trip in exchange for any promise of positive​ stories or social media posts​. The opinions and findings are all my own and always... unedited. It speaks for the integrity of these suppliers that they trust their product will shine, without any quid pro quos in exchange for travel. I choose who I work with very carefully for this reason.